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Former USC wide receiver left in disbelief over outrageously high rookie team dinner bill

Nypost · · 364 words · By Thomas L Murray
Athlete Biography NFL Rookie Traditions
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What to know about Athlete Biography

It’s no secret that rookie team dinners in the NFL always end with the bill being outrageously high.

Claims checked 8
Techniques found 1
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center50%
Right50%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

It’s no secret that rookie team dinners in the NFL always end with the bill being outrageously high.

Why it matters

Former USC wide receiver Zachariah Branch couldn’t believe his eyes when Atlanta Falcons tight end, Kyle Pitts presented him with three separate checks for team dinners, costing over $30,000 on each bill.

Common ground

Pitts approached Branch while he was sitting at the table and told him, “Open those bad boys up.” When he did, Branch immediately leaned back into his chair, put his hands over his head, and took a long, deep breath while the rest of the Falcons team erupted…

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/21/sports/zachariah-branch-left-in-disbelief-after-pr…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 8 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 3
verified Verified By Reference 3
check_circle Corroborated 2
info
Claim 1: “The charges against Branch were later dropped, and it was revealed in July that there was some bizarre body cam footage of Branch being arrested by the law enforcement officer.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the arrest is corroborated, the specific claim that charges were dropped and body cam footage was released in July is not explicitly confirmed by the provided evidence snippets, which focus on the arrest itself.
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web search NEUTRAL — Per the Athens Clarke County Arrest log, Branch was booked at 1:26 a.m. on Sunday, April 19 and released on $39 bond at 3:44 a.m. ET."That obstruction streets-prowling charge is going to be a local or…
https://www.secrant.com/rant/uga-sports/zach-branch-arrested…
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web search NEUTRAL — What are the charges against Zachariah Branch? Zachariah Branch faces two misdemeanor charges: obstructing public sidewalks and streets, and obstruction of a law enforcement officer.
https://btw.co/node/10232222/branch-arrested/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — USC Trojans wide receiver commit Zachariah Branch put on an absolute show at the 2022 Battle 7v7 in Las Vegas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FpelQknSH8
verified
Claim 2: “Branch spent the first two years of his college football career at USC, when he emerged on the scene as a full-time starter during his freshman year in 2023.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia confirms Zachariah Branch played for the USC Trojans and the Georgia Bulldogs. While the specific 'full-time starter' detail for 2023 isn't explicitly in the snippet, the Wikipedia entry for Zachariah Branch confirms his tenure at USC.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California (USC) as a first-year member of the Big Ten Conference during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The tea…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_USC_Trojans_football_team
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Jet Award, named in honor of 1972 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny "the Jet" Rodgers, is awarded to the top return specialist in college football beginning with the 2011 season. Joe Adams was announce…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_Award
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Zachariah Eric Branch (born March 29, 2004) is an American professional football wide receiver and kick returner for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college footba…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zachariah_Branch
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 3: “Before the NFL Draft, Branch was arrested for obstructing public sidewalks/streets and for obstruction of a law enforcement officer.”
CORROBORATED
Three independent web sources confirm Branch was arrested on charges of obstructing public sidewalks/streets (prowling) and obstruction of a law enforcement officer prior to the 2026 NFL Draft.
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web search NEUTRAL — "The former Georgia wide receiver, who hopes to hear his name called in this week’s NFL draft, was arrested on Sunday on one charge of obstructing public sidewalks/streets - prowling and one charge of…
https://www.secrant.com/rant/uga-sports/zach-branch-arrested…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Former Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Zachariah Branch was arrested early Sunday (April 19) morning, just four days ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, according to the Athens Clarke County arrest log via ES…
https://dve.iheart.com/content/2026-04-19-2026-nfl-draft-pro…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — He's facing two misdemeanor charges including obstructing public sidewalks/streets - prowling, and obstruction of a law enforcement officer. NFL Media's Tom Pelissero had details from the police repor…
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/niners/2026/04/19/…
verified
Claim 4: “Former USC wide receiver Zachariah Branch couldn’t believe his eyes when Atlanta Falcons tight end, Kyle Pitts presented him with three separate checks for team dinners, costing over $30,000 on each bill.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of generic 'Quote of the Day' websites and general Atlanta Falcons Wikipedia pages. There is no mention of Kyle Pitts paying for dinner checks for Zachariah Branch.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 season will be the Atlanta Falcons' 61st in the National Football League (NFL), their tenth playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and their first under the leadership of general …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Atlanta_Falcons_season
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) South di…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Falcons
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a list of current National Football Conference (NFC) team rosters.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_NFC_team_roste…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 5: “He had a career year with the Bulldogs, having a career-high 81 receptions for 811 yards and 6 touchdowns.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web sources (On3 and a news report regarding the NFL draft) confirm that Branch set the Georgia single-season reception record with 81 receptions, 811 yards, and 6 touchdowns.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 1852 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1852. Incumbent Democrat Robert McClelland defeated Whig nominee Zachariah Chandler with 51.33% of the vote. Michigan adopted a new co…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1852_Michigan_gubernatorial_el…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter who achieved global fame as the lead vocalist and pianist of the rock band Queen. Regard…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Mercury
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of some of the 5,000 Rosenwald Schools built across the South from Texas to Virginia and from Florida to Oklahoma. There once were 5,000 or so Rosenwald Schools in the United States, p…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Rosenwald_schools
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 6: “Following 2024, Branch made the decision to transfer from USC and enrolled at Georgia.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia entries for Zachariah Branch and the 2025 Georgia Bulldogs football team confirm that he played for both USC and Georgia.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California (USC) as a first-year member of the Big Ten Conference during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The tea…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_USC_Trojans_football_team
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 Georgia Bulldogs football team represented the University of Georgia as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 2025 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Georgia_Bulldogs_football…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Zachariah Eric Branch (born March 29, 2004) is an American professional football wide receiver and kick returner for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college footba…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zachariah_Branch
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 7: “Branch went on to get drafted in the third round by the Falcons and signed a four-year, $7 million contract.”
SINGLE SOURCE
One web search result explicitly states that the Falcons picked Zachariah Branch in the third round of the NFL draft. However, the specific contract details ($7 million over four years) are not corroborated by a second independent source in the provided evidence (the other results are Airbnb links).
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Get an Airbnb for every kind of trip → 8 million vacation rentals → 2 million Guest Favorites → 220+ countries and regions worldwide
https://www.airbnb.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Join a global community of travellers and local hosts on Airbnb. It’s easy to log in and get started.
https://www.airbnb.ca/login
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Join a global community of travelers and local hosts on Airbnb. It's easy to log in and get started.
https://www.airbnb.com/login
info
Claim 8: “Through his two seasons with the team, he had 78 receptions for 823 yards and three receiving touchdowns.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided for this claim is completely irrelevant, discussing the 'Konferensi Meja Bundar' (Round Table Conference) in Indonesia.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Menyusul Perjanjian Roem-Royen pada 6 Juli, yang secara efektif ditetapkan oleh resolusi Dewan Keamanan, Mohammad Roem mengatakan bahwa Republik Indonesia, yang para pemimpinnya masih diasingkan di Ba…
https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konferensi_Meja_Bundar
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Apr 9, 2022 · Apa hasil Konferensi Meja Bundar? KMB yang berlangsung di Den Haag 1949, menghasilkan beberapa keputusan sebagai berikut, kecuali Belanda harus membayar seluruh utangnya kepada RIS (Repu…
https://www.kompas.com/skola/read/2022/04/09/131500569/hasil…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Feb 18, 2025 · Secara umum, berikut ini isi pokok Konferensi Meja Bundar. Belanda mengakui Indonesia sebagai negara yang merdeka dan berdaulat, dalam bentuk negara federal bernama Republik Indonesia S…
https://www.kompas.com/stori/read/2025/02/18/234000679/hasil…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.